Read Online Hip Deep in Dragons by Christina Westcott - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Christina Westcott
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shall have to try and distract it while you flee.”
“You’re mad at me?”
He snorted. “Aye, a bit, but more I was afraid. If I had let something happen to you, after I had only just found you again…” His voice trailed off, and his hand slid down my arm to twine around my fingers.
I squeezed back. “I wanted to thank you. For giving me back the memories of that summer.”
“I never agreed with what he did. I knew you would not tell a soul.”
“Did you get in a lot of trouble?”
“Aye, that I did. For two seasons I had to do all my chores without the use of magic, which meant cleaning out the barn with a pitchfork and sweeping the tower like a scullery maid. My master said it built character. And muscles. He kept me so busy with my studies over the next few years that I could never slip away, but as soon as he began sending me out on the Road on little errands, I would sneak into Vayron and check on you.”
“I never saw you.”
“You were not supposed to. Then one day you were gone, away to college a neighbor said. You were going on with your life, so I decided it was time for me to do the same. I had not been back to Naples since, not until I tracked Shakagwa Dun here. Last night, I was hurt and needed a place to rest and heal. Then I discovered my footsteps had carried me to that Gate behind your house. I promised myself that I would be gone in the morning, but when I saw you…” His words trailed off, and he shook his head. “Perhaps involving you was not the wisest thing I could have done.”
“Don’t think you’ve cornered the market on stupid moves. I can imagine what my dad would have said about me taking off into the glades alone, without letting anyone know where I was going.”
He helped me scramble over the fallen tree and we walked the last few feet to the Jeep in silence. He leaned against the door and scrubbed his hands over his face. The ratty green scrunchie still circled his wrist.
I wanted to reach out, to brush the muddy lock of dark hair from his face, but I twisted my fingers together instead. “You’re exhausted. This is all my fault.”
“No, Laura. Weaving those incantations in this world is like swimming through treacle.” His lips smiled but the pale eyes were dull and lifeless.
“But you wouldn’t have had to work that last spell if you hadn’t needed to protect me. I should have stayed home—like you told me to.”
He pulled me against him, resting his chin on the top of head. “As I recall, you were never good at listening to anything I told you.”
“Yeah, I was always the instigator, the headstrong one who got us into trouble, wasn’t I?” The memories came back, all the more sweet and poignant for having been lost all those years. I snuggled my face into his chest, drinking in the smell of him—wild lands and sunshine. Was this what magic smelled like?
“What do we do now?” I asked.
“ We are doing nothing. You will get in the Jeep and drive home as swiftly as possible while I deal with Shakagwa Dun and its brood.”
A shriek like a manic calliope echoed across the swamp, shocking every bird, bug, and animal into silence, and raising the hair on the back of my neck. Robby jerked around toward the eerie sound’s source, his teeth gnawing at his bottom lip.
I captured his chin, and turned his face back to mine. “You’re exhausted. Come home with me tonight. I have my mother’s recipe for lasagna. As I recall, you were quite fond of that when you stayed for dinner. You can get some rest and start out fresh in the morning.”
“Nay, Laura, I could not. If I were to spend the night under the same roof as you, rest is one thing I fear I would not be getting.” Heat kindled in the celadon depths of his eyes. An answering fire exploded in my belly, spangling upward like fireworks to burst inside my head.
He studied me as if he could see those sparklers behind my eyes. Taking my face in his hands, he kissed me, softly at first, but then
“You’re mad at me?”
He snorted. “Aye, a bit, but more I was afraid. If I had let something happen to you, after I had only just found you again…” His voice trailed off, and his hand slid down my arm to twine around my fingers.
I squeezed back. “I wanted to thank you. For giving me back the memories of that summer.”
“I never agreed with what he did. I knew you would not tell a soul.”
“Did you get in a lot of trouble?”
“Aye, that I did. For two seasons I had to do all my chores without the use of magic, which meant cleaning out the barn with a pitchfork and sweeping the tower like a scullery maid. My master said it built character. And muscles. He kept me so busy with my studies over the next few years that I could never slip away, but as soon as he began sending me out on the Road on little errands, I would sneak into Vayron and check on you.”
“I never saw you.”
“You were not supposed to. Then one day you were gone, away to college a neighbor said. You were going on with your life, so I decided it was time for me to do the same. I had not been back to Naples since, not until I tracked Shakagwa Dun here. Last night, I was hurt and needed a place to rest and heal. Then I discovered my footsteps had carried me to that Gate behind your house. I promised myself that I would be gone in the morning, but when I saw you…” His words trailed off, and he shook his head. “Perhaps involving you was not the wisest thing I could have done.”
“Don’t think you’ve cornered the market on stupid moves. I can imagine what my dad would have said about me taking off into the glades alone, without letting anyone know where I was going.”
He helped me scramble over the fallen tree and we walked the last few feet to the Jeep in silence. He leaned against the door and scrubbed his hands over his face. The ratty green scrunchie still circled his wrist.
I wanted to reach out, to brush the muddy lock of dark hair from his face, but I twisted my fingers together instead. “You’re exhausted. This is all my fault.”
“No, Laura. Weaving those incantations in this world is like swimming through treacle.” His lips smiled but the pale eyes were dull and lifeless.
“But you wouldn’t have had to work that last spell if you hadn’t needed to protect me. I should have stayed home—like you told me to.”
He pulled me against him, resting his chin on the top of head. “As I recall, you were never good at listening to anything I told you.”
“Yeah, I was always the instigator, the headstrong one who got us into trouble, wasn’t I?” The memories came back, all the more sweet and poignant for having been lost all those years. I snuggled my face into his chest, drinking in the smell of him—wild lands and sunshine. Was this what magic smelled like?
“What do we do now?” I asked.
“ We are doing nothing. You will get in the Jeep and drive home as swiftly as possible while I deal with Shakagwa Dun and its brood.”
A shriek like a manic calliope echoed across the swamp, shocking every bird, bug, and animal into silence, and raising the hair on the back of my neck. Robby jerked around toward the eerie sound’s source, his teeth gnawing at his bottom lip.
I captured his chin, and turned his face back to mine. “You’re exhausted. Come home with me tonight. I have my mother’s recipe for lasagna. As I recall, you were quite fond of that when you stayed for dinner. You can get some rest and start out fresh in the morning.”
“Nay, Laura, I could not. If I were to spend the night under the same roof as you, rest is one thing I fear I would not be getting.” Heat kindled in the celadon depths of his eyes. An answering fire exploded in my belly, spangling upward like fireworks to burst inside my head.
He studied me as if he could see those sparklers behind my eyes. Taking my face in his hands, he kissed me, softly at first, but then
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